The present invention relates to an image processing apparatus and method, and system thereof which records or transfers moving-picture information, and reproduces the recorded or transferred information.
Conventionally, the above image processing apparatus compresses a frame or a plurality of frames comprising moving-picture information by a predetermined single type of compression method, and records or transfers the compressed information. Then, the recorded or transferred information is returned to as before in accordance with the method that the information has been compressed.
However, in the conventional technique, when the compression method is not suitable to all or a part of the moving-picture information, a problem arises in that necessary information is lost during the compression or the compression rate is insufficient.
For example, when the compression is performed by thinning frames of the moving picture, this method is suitable to an inactive moving picture, however, the reproducibility of an active moving picture is inferior. On the other hand, when the compression is performed by recording the difference between frames, this method is suitable to active moving picture, while the compression efficiency for inactive moving picture is insufficient.